


Safe

by Matori_Holmes



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Why Did I Write This?, a bit angst, hurt with a little bit comfort, i don't even like angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 23:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 923
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12157092
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Matori_Holmes/pseuds/Matori_Holmes
Summary: Because Pepper never asked for a break.





	Safe

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know why I wrote this. I mean, I love Pepperony, really, I do, but I just . . . can't help writing about their 'break' thing in Civil War. Anyway . . . enjoy, I guess.

Tony was subtle. He followed her when he can and when he can, he flirts with other girls. Of course that wasn’t much of a surprise for her but it made her jealous anyway. Funny thing was that his plans kept backfiring. Pepper would ask about why he flirted with those girls and as he tried to explain, he can’t help but find himself aroused and unfocused at how sexy Pepper is when she’s angry. So instead they got into this huge ‘are you jealous’ argument before falling into bed and knocking the hotel lamps.

 

It wasn’t supposed to be like that.

 

After he became . . . human again, he started to worry. Of course long before the arc reactor was out of his chest he’s worried. What if the bad guys use Pepper as hostage? What if he can’t get to her in time? What if . . . no, he can’t even imagine it, losing her forever . . . he can’t, which was why he tried to make Pepper dislike him. He wanted her to push him away. He wanted the whole world to see that . . . that Pepper meant nothing to him anymore.

 

“Tony,” she sighed as the plane took off, taking them back home after some business thing which Pepper always takes care for him. “What are you hiding from me?” he frowned, pretending not to understand. “What am I hiding? Honey, I’m not hiding anything,” Tony answered with a smirk. Pepper smiled slightly. “Tony, you can tell me. Are you dying again?” Pepper asked worriedly. “What, no! I’m not dying,” he answered quickly and defensively, “I’m . . . I just wanted to spend some time with you.”

 

“You flirted with other girls, Tony, I’m not blind or deaf.” She glared at him, her blue eyes piercing him. “Did I really?” the ding gave Tony a chance to get up from his chair. Pepper followed as he walked to the restroom. “What are you doing?” he asked, “I’m trying to pee here, Pep.” She scoffed in response. “I’ve seen you pee many times before so what’s the big deal if I go with you? Besides the restroom is big here,” she told him. _Damn_ , he thought, _better excuse, Anthony_. “I might shit last night’s meal,” he added and she grimaced. “Tony stop beating around the bush, you already did your morning dump,” she told him before standing in front of the door.

 

They stared at each other. It felt like hours before he sighed and closed his mouth with his hand. “Fine,” he finally mumbled and Pepper grabbed his hands before hugging him. “I don’t want to lose you, Pepper,” he told her, hiding his face to her neck as his arms found a way to circle around her waist. “You won’t,” she answered quickly but reassuringly. He shook his head with a frown. “No, you don’t get it, Pepper!” he exclaimed as he pulled away.

 

“Then let me understand—“

 

“I don’t want to lose—“

 

“—what’s wrong with you—“

 

“What’s wrong with me? I’m not—“

 

“—because you mean something—“

 

“—safe, Pepper, because I have bad people—“

 

“—to me, and I care about you—“

 

“—on my back and I love you!”

 

Pepper went speechless. “Finally, that got you to stop,” he mumbled as he buried his face to his hands. His brown eyes found her worried blue eyes. “Pepper, honey, I love you, so much that it hurts me when, when I,” he started to hyperventilate which wasn’t much of a surprise for Pepper since the New York accident and Ultron. She hugged him again and shushed him silently while trying her best not to cry.

 

“It’s all fine, honey,” she whispered, “it’s alright now, we’re fine.” She could feel his tears on her blouse but she didn’t hear sobs. “I can’t lose you again, Pep. I can’t. Killian almost got you and you could’ve . . .” he trailed off, the word felt too heavy for him but she understood. “I’m here, Tony, and I’m alive, I’m still taking care of your company,” she said and he chuckled though she could hear a choked sob. “What would I be without you?” he croaked out.

 

They stayed there before he pulled away, sniffing slightly. “I’m a mess, Pep. No, let me finish,” he said when she was about to interrupt. “I can’t let bad things happen to you. I can’t let them use you as leverage anymore. I need us to take a break.”

 

The shocked was evident on her face. “I need you, to break up with me, publicly,” he repeated, not daring to look at her eyes. “That’s why you’ve been flirting with other girls.” Tony smirked sadly. It was the same smirk he used when she told him that not everyone lives using batteries. She forced him to look at her and she kissed him, deeply. All of her love and devotion she transferred to him.

 

“Okay,” she whispered, “if it’s for the best.” Tony nodded. “I can’t save my parents back then but I can save you now. I can keep you safe,” he told her. She tried not to cry but the tears fell. He wiped the tears and kissed her forehead. “I need you, Pepper. I can’t live without you but I can’t live with you, not anymore. Not after Sokovia. The Avengers been getting . . . threatening and hateful messages since then and the whole world knows who you are and who I am. I need you to keep yourself safe,” he told her and she nodded with a smile.

 

“I love you, Tony.”

 

He smiled. “I know.”


End file.
